Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-15
ALEAFrRoM HISTORY.
An Account OF the Curry Assault in
iS78-Pubiished by Request.

"gentlemanly negro, who was conducting
respectable business" That he "struck
you over the head with cane" and that
you had him sent to the pcnitentiary."
Will you kindly publish the particulars of
the affair as there has been some dispute re-
garding it, l had always understood that
you almost lost your life. 5. VI. Il.
We have copied from the Omaha Herald
the account of Curry's brutal assault, which
is herewith published. 1t will be seen that,
as usual, the journal has grossly misrepre-
sented the facts in the case:
SAVAGE BRUTALIrY-A CowARpLY AND
BARBAROUs ATTACK UPON AN EDITOR
MR. EDWARD RosEwATEE BEATEN WITH
BILLY" IN THE HANDS OF AN lNFuRl-
ATED RuFFIAN-THE FIENDIsH AssAIL-
ANT AND MS ACCoMPLICE IN JAIL.
From the DdiD Herald, February t6, 1876.
In its issue of Monday the 9th inst the
Omaha BEE published in its local columns
all account of the breaking open the Satur-
day night previous, of the safe in j. f.. BOyd'S
office on Thirteenth street for which robbery
two negroes, named respectively Sparks and
Newton, were arrested. In the publication
in question this language was used: Sparks
and Newton were known to have been out
on a spree during all of Saturday night.
spending money freely. and bucking. the.
tiger at acOlOred den on Douglas street,"
AN INQUIRY.
To the average reader there was nothing
especially offensive in the language quoted,
but cOlored politician and hummer by the
name OF Richard Curry, was of different
opinion, for on the morning of the 9th he
published in the Republican of this city. the
following card under the heading What did
you Mean"'
OMAHA, Feb s-To Edward Rosewater,
Publisher Omaha Bee: In your paper Of
Monday evening. February I. appears an ar
ticle in which my place OF business is spoken
of as "cOlored den."
N,t,x l,,ln Ioin ,i,ot sion
you intended to leave upon the public mind
by the use of those words which as generally
interpreted, would place me before this com
mGSnlty pSidyyda, IN a most uhenviable Iighmt' rnnv
THE coNUNDRuM ANSWERED..
To this inquiry Mr.. Rosewater, one of the
tersest and most vigorous writer's on the
western, press, responded with the following
editorial, pretacing it with Curry's card:
You evidently take exceptions to the fol-
lowing paragraph:
Sparks and another colored man. named
| Newton, were known to have been out on
spree during all of Saturday night, spending
money, freely and bucking the tiger at
colored den on Douglas street.
This paragraph appears in the BEES re-
port Of the Boyd sat safe burglary with h.S which
no reference is made, to your place of bust
ness (?) you acknowledge that the coat fits
YOU by making this inquiry. The BEE is
| always courteous, and your questions shall be
| answered without reserve.
| According to Webster den Is "A custom
! airy place of resort: a haunt; retreat; as, for
example, den OF robbers; den of misery
and vice. A colored den may either be a
haunt of vice ard misery, painted in colors.
| or it may be a disreputable haunt frequented
by persons of color. II may be both. If your
place of business is snch den, the sooner you
danger there will be of your being insuted
| by paragraphs like the above. Since you have
seen tit to PROFOUND this .conundrum, we
may as we'll state that while the BEE is ever
to, the colOred ;tnar, 1t also believes that
colored men shall be made amenahe to the
laws that punish vice and crime in white
"sfi sHi as you intimate. t your place of business
IS a den where colored men buck the tiger,
and spend their hard earned money in gam
bling and kindred crimes. the less you say
about It the better for the reputat' # the
| colOred race.' -
A vILLA1NoUs AssAu.'
The foregoing was published in tie BEE a
week ago to-day. since which time no public
mention has been made of the matter, and
those of our citizens who knew the character
of the colOred individual who was so deSir-
Gus of being insulted, we're of the opinion
that he had received just what he deserved at
the hands of the BEE.
Yesterday afternoon. between five and six
o'clock, Mr.. Rosewater went into the United
States court house on business and few
minutes later Mr.. George JeweIt spoke ia
Coy negS who was
| upon Cotfey responded with:
| "DO YOU SEE THEM TIIUMPERS
over there?' pointing to Curry. who was
| leisurely pacing back and forth in front OF
Aliens drug store, on the opposite corner.
Jewett asked him what he meant, when Cof-
fey replied:
There's going to be lively times over there
About this time Mr.. Rosewater came down
Fifteenth street and was met at the corner
bv Curry, who began talking with him in re-
lation to the publication above referred TO-
had known that he Curry considered him
self so seriously injured by the publication
in the first instance. the columns OF the BEE
would have been at his service for the pub
iicat,on Of any communication he mi-h!
have desired to write. The words had
barely been spoken when Curry drew short
billy" from side pocket and quick as flash
dealt Mr half dozen a terIbe Ian
this, Coffee walked up. and, grasping Mr.
Rosewater, held him, and remarked to the
other colored bully:
THERE, YOU'VE HIT HIN ENOUGH"
| At this Mr.. ROSewater managed to free
| himself, and ran across Fifteenth street, but
was at once pursued and Overtaken by
Curry near McCatfrey's saloon Immediately
time by Curry. BY this time crowd had
collected, and MIR. Rosewater was rescued
from the attacks of his cowardly, brutal as
salants and carried into Aliens drug store
DIR. McCleland happened to be passing and
was called in. In short time a buggy was
procured and Mr.. Rosewater was conveyed
to his residence on Farnam street. between
Seventeenth and Eighteenth, he being then
| in an insenSibe condition.
UpOn being separated from the victim Oi
his blind fury,
CURRY HANDED HIS WEAPON
to mis- confederate, Coffee, who threw II
down a stairway near Aliens office, where
1t was afterward found, and is now
in the possession of Judge Porter. The two
brutes were arrested by Constable IanlOr
and taken to the police office, a large
crowd. following and CRYING "lyncl
them!' No attack was made upon the two
prisoners, however, but they we're safely
conveyed to the police office and there az
ragned on the charge OF assault and battery
Judge Porter had lust fixed Curry's bail a
500 for his appearance this morning, wher
Andrew ROsewater came into the court room
vita the information thar his brother,
injuries were Of tile most serious character
and swore out warrant against Curry anC
Coffee on the charge of assault with inten
to commit murder. whereupon the judge al
once increased then bail to $4,000 and both
he and Coffee were hustled off to Jail.
WHO CURRY Is.
Curry has been in Omaha number o.
years and Is well known here. At one time
| hesWaS the prODrtetOr of large barber shOl